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| Chinks are showing in communal violence Bill | | | Sunita Vakil | 9/20/2011 9:22:54 PM |
| india prides itself as the greatest democracy in the world. But actually with government busy devising ways and means of dividing the nation along caste and communal lines, this democracy is perverted. Nothing demonstrates this better than manoeuvreing going on at the moment to suit the primordial designs of the UPA govt. of sneaking in a policy aimed at appeasing Muslims in the hope of getting their votes in the next elections. India has paid enough for congress's pro-minority communal bias. But the nation cannot carry the burden of their perversity as policy anymore.
As a mature nation, we expect our leaders to behave like statesmen. But under the guise of Unity in diversity, Congress led UPA govt. till date has only promoted diversity. Indeed, its leaders seem to have redefined secularism. For them, secularism means keeping the minorities in good humour and in the process, trampling on the majority community. Indeed , the present regime is treading a path aimed at creating a rift between communities who had lived together in harmony for centuries. It has been making incessant effort to provide and increase reservation to the minority community on religions grounds. This vote bank approach to tackle our problems is tearing apart the social fabric of the nation. A fallout of this foolhardiness has been the rise of radical Islamism as the most potent force.
It goes without saying that the controversial communal violence bill formulated by the National Advisory Council-an extra constitutional body- is a perfect recipe for national disintegration. A legislation of this kind which specifically categories violence and starts labelling victims are "minority" and majority" may facilitate fanning the flames of communal discord whatever our constitution may say, the so called secular parties have always sided with vote banks-often at the cost of the national interest. If we are indeed secular, why do we have laws that are different for people of different religions? How can there be a law which perpetually makes the majority community a culprit and the minority community a victim of communal violence?
There is also the other aspect-the upsurge of minorityism that has come to define the UPA government's policies. This would be in keeping with the Prime Minister's strange obsession with Muslims and its frequent manifestation in the most lurid manner. Thus Dr. Singh's declarations of "minorities first" as his government's policy, earmarking the first 15 percent of the national resources for their benefit, the appointment of Sachar Committee, the installation of ministry for minority concentrated districts et al are all steps in the direction of dividing the country into a majority and a minority.
Strangely, the govt. believed that it could get the dubious bill through the National integration council. But the proposed bill on communal violence has invited flak from across the political spectrum. The draft communal violence bill has already attracted controversy and severe criticism not just from the main opposition party, the BJP, but also from the left and even the Congress's allies like the Trinamool Congress Whose leader Mamata Banarjee outrightly skipped the event. The fact that more than six chief ministers did not bother to attend the meeting is a clear indicator of the lack of consensus across the political spectrum over the proposed bill. It is no secret that many key political leaders have expressed reservations about the draft bill as in the present form they perceive it as a threat to the country's social fabric and its federal structure. Several leaders have pointed out two major flaws in the draft bill. If the Congress adopts the bill, the centre will be empowered to intervene in the matter, even though law and order is entirely the states jurisdiction. Secondly, according to its bizarre Provisions, in case of a communal riot, majority community will always be the culprit while the minority will always be innocent victims giving them license to indulge in unrestricted violence. Also, it goes without saying that Jammu and Kashmir is exempt from this act. The reason is obvious as the definition of majority and minority gets reversed in a state where fabric of the nation gets a beating everyday. Yet it is exempt. One can only say the members of the NAC who have authored the bill and masquerade as left liberal secularists are only fanning their own narrow agendas of minority communalism.
The nation today is clearly divided into two groups-the majority and the minority community. The so called secular politician is clearly siding with the minorities obviously to appease them, on the other side of the divide, the majority community in this country which has been rendered silent and defensive remains as ever the silent sufferer-unable to raise his voice lest he be dubbed as a Hindu fundamentalist. The biggest problem with the draft bill is that Hindus will be at the receiving end of the stick while rioters belonging to minority communities will be above the law of the land. Moreover, the bill empowers any anonymous complainant to file a police case against a member of the majority community. The act can thus be misused to settle personal scores. Indeed, the bill is divisive, dangerous and discriminatory in nature. Notwithstanding the noble intentions behind the draft bill, will it make the situation any better for the minority? It has now become a ritual with the Congress to announce some sops to woo the minorities while its leaders make a great show of caring for them, what they are actually doing is alienating them further and blocking their progress by not allowing them to merge with the mainstream. The recent Communal Violence Bill is one such step. So who is communal in the real sense? This sham must end. Appeasement of minorities or fleecing of majority community can not be misconstrued as secularism. True secularism demands that all religions be treated equally. Leaders who like to court Muslims tend to forget that Hindu Pandits suffered irreparable loss when they were forced to flee their homes in the Valley by Islamists. |
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